Is walkers good for babies

Why Baby Walkers Aren’t Safe—and What to Buy Instead

As parents, we want to place our trust in the many baby products available on store shelves and online. But not all gear is created equal, and some so-called “must-haves” are simply unsafe, despite their appeal. One item you may hear mixed reviews about? Baby walkers. They sure do look cute and fun, but numerous accidents and incidents have proven them to be potentially dangerous. So are walkers bad for babies? Read on to learn more about why you shouldn’t use them—plus, find some nifty, safe and adorable alternatives to baby walkers to shop instead.

In this article:
What are baby walkers?
Are walkers bad for babies?
Are walkers bad for babies?
Safe alternatives to baby walkers

What Are Baby Walkers?

In short, a wheeled baby walker is a piece of gear that babies who can’t walk yet (generally between the ages of 6 and 15 months) can use to scoot around spaces on their own. Traditional baby walkers feature a seat for babies to sit in, a table and a wide base that has four wheels; baby’s feet touch the ground, and they can use their legs to push off the ground. This is not to be confused with a push-toy baby walker, which is an upright toy that a standing baby can hold onto and push forward.

Are Walkers Bad for Babies?

So are baby walkers safe? By now you probably realize that the short answer is no, they’re not. Baby walkers with wheels pose a risk to a child’s safety and development, says Paul Patterson, MD, PhD, a pediatrician in Seattle. He adds that baby walkers with seats have been outlawed in Canada, and that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for a ban on them as well.

But exactly why are walkers bad for babies? There are a few specific hazards to be concerned about, says Leah Alexander, MD, a pediatrician in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Below, some of the more common issues associated with baby walkers with wheels:

• Falling down stairs. According to the AAP, more than 230,676 children under 15 months old were treated for baby walker–related injuries between 1990 and 2014. Of those injuries, a whopping 74 percent involved infants falling down the stairs while in a wheeled baby walker. If there’s any good news, it’s that the number of injuries involving wheeled baby walkers has decreased in recent years as a result of parents becoming better informed about the risks involved.
• Moving too quickly. Unfortunately, walkers for babies can pose a threat even when you’re closely supervising. Once baby gets the hang of how to scoot around, they can pick up speed. “They can quickly get away from a parent or caregiver and into a dangerous situation,” Alexander says. “What’s more, baby can’t get out of a walker if an injury occurs.” Essentially, they’re trapped.
• Reaching for hazardous items. In her practice, Alexander has seen multiple injuries from babies reaching for hazardous items while using a baby walker with wheels. “In one case, an infant reached up and swiped a soup pot handle while passing by a stove,” she says. “The pot’s contents fell on him, resulting in third-degree burns. Another infant ‘walked’ into the cord of a hot iron. It fell on him and caused a large second-degree burn.” There have also been reports of drownings of infants who used a walker near a pool or body of water, she adds.
• Improper leg development. From a developmental perspective, baby walkers place a child in an atypical standing position, inadvertently promoting external rotation and pointed toes, explains Patterson. “This can put unnecessary force on joints, creating an abnormal walking pattern and impacting typical muscle development,” he says.

What Are Some Safe Alternatives to Baby Walkers?

Don’t worry, we’re not here to take away all of baby’s fun, especially at such an adorable age. Instead of a baby walker on wheels, the AAP recommends opting for an activity center with either a stationary, rotating or bouncy seat.

Sturdy wagons or push walking toys are also acceptable, but you’ll need to closely supervise when your child is using this item, as the wheels can increase the risk of injury. Make sure your toy of choice has a bar for baby to hold on to, and check that it’s weighted and won’t tip over while in use.

Ready to help baby explore, play and move around in a safe way? We’ve rounded up developmentally appropriate alternatives to baby walkers for littles who are just beginning to use their legs and feet.

Image: buybuy BABY

Skip Hop Explore & More 3-Stage Activity Center

This fun activity center allows babies to swivel and bounce once they’re ready to use their little feet to explore. It supports proper leg alignment at a variety of ages and stages, and a removable bounce plate lets babes bounce before their tiny tootsies even reach the floor. As your little one grows, removable and repositionable toys give way to a simple tabletop space perfect for playing, coloring or snacking.

Buy it: $142, BuyBuyBaby.com

Image: buybuy BABY

Baby Einstein Neptune’s Ocean Discovery Jumper

Satisfy baby’s need to move and bounce with this brightly colored bouncer from Baby Einstein. Choose from three different designs, each with a host of coordinating toys for hours of play. The seat is suspended from the top of the toy, which allows for maximum bounce action.

Buy it: $100, BuyBuyBaby.com

Image: Amazon

Baby Einstein Around We Grow 4-in-1 Walk Around Discovery Activity Center Table

Here’s a unique spin on a baby walker with wheels: This toy combines a wheeled walker with an activity table. A seat on one end of the toy sits on wheels, which allows baby to safely circle around the activity table without the whole contraption moving around the room.

Buy it: $109, Amazon.com

Image: buybuy BABY

VTech Super Star Learning Table

When baby is preparing for those first tentative steps, a learning table offers a great way to encourage movement. This bright and colorful VTech table is loaded with interactive toys that light up and sing. As baby begins to take steps, they’ll love pitter-pattering from one side of the table to another.

Buy it: $30 BuyBuyBaby.com

Image: Amazon

Angel Bliss Extra Large Playard

If it’s freedom that baby craves, try giving them more space and less restriction with the help of an extra-large playpen. This oversize option affords baby the liberty to scoot and crawl and attempt those first steps without risk.

Buy it: $130, Amazon.com

Image: Amazon

Kiddery Toys Wooden Push-and-Pull Learning Walker

Sturdy push toys are an alternative to traditional baby walkers with wheels. Just make sure your pick has a bar for baby to hold on to, and check that the toy won’t tip while in use. Younger babies can use this toy to play, while early walkers will benefit from the support the toy gives as they push it and practice their steps. Keep in mind that caution and supervision is always in order when baby uses a toy with wheels.

Buy it: $60, Amazon.com

About the experts:

Paul Patterson, MD, PhD, is a pediatrician in the Seattle area. He received his medical degree from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.

Leah Alexander, MD, is a pediatrician with Pediatricare Associates of New Jersey, and a consultant for Mom Loves Best. She received her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

When Do Babies Start Walking?

How to Childproof Once Baby Is Walking

21 Baby Walking Shoes to Support Your Child’s First Steps

Parents: Don’t use a baby walker

In Canada, the sale of baby walkers is banned. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) would like the same to be true in the US.

Why? Because baby walkers are dangerous. According to a study in the journal Pediatrics, between 1990 and 2014, more than 230,000 children less than 15 months of age were treated in US emergency departments for injuries related to walkers. The majority of injuries happen when children fall down stairs in a walker, usually injuring their head or neck, sometimes seriously.

But it’s not just stairs that can be a problem. Children in walkers can get their fingers caught, pull things down on themselves, or grab dangerous things (such as sharp objects or hot liquids) that would otherwise be out of their reach. Children can fall out of walkers and get hurt — and have drowned when they scooted into a pool or spa. There have also been injuries from toys attached to a baby walker.

Between 1990 and 2003, baby walker injuries decreased by 84.5%, as voluntary safety standards were instituted, and more families started to buy standers that didn’t move. In 2010 mandatory federal safety standards took effect. Among other things, the standards include measures to help prevent walkers from falling down stairs or tipping over, and to ensure that babies inside them are well-supported and can’t get stuck inside them. The rules also require a parking brake, to keep the walker more stationary, and have standards for the wheels themselves to keep the walkers safer. Even still, in 2014 2,000 toddlers were seen in emergency rooms for injuries due to walkers.

So why would parents use a baby walker?

Some parents buy them because they think that walkers help babies learn to walk faster. However, the opposite is true: using a walker can delay independent walking. That’s because learning to walk isn’t so much about learning to use your legs. It’s more about learning to pull to stand and then balance and take steps without support. When babies are plopped into walkers, they don’t learn any of that. They learn it by being put on the floor with something they can pull up on, like a couch or a caregiver.

The other reason is that babies like them and will play happily in them. This is absolutely true. Starting at around 6 months babies love to be upright — and love to be mobile, so that they can explore and be in the thick of things. However, there are other and safer ways to get babies upright, such as in stationary standers. As for mobility, the inconvenient truth is that not only do babies need to learn mobility by themselves, they need constant supervision as they do. Walkers can give caregivers a false sense of security and make them think that they don’t need to be within arm’s reach of the baby — when not only is that exactly where they need to be, it’s where babies want them to be.

So just say no to a baby walker. It isn’t worth the risk.

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Are walkers harmful? Orthopedist answers

Parents often ask us the question: “Can a walker be used?” when visiting a pediatric orthopedist. And although in medicine in general, and in orthopedics in particular, there are many topics for disputes between doctors, but as for the use of walkers, jumpers, etc. devices, orthopedists around the world have long come to an unequivocal answer - walkers do much more harm than good.

Learning, the beginning of walking is a very important stage for any child, and parents are well aware of this - after all, one of the most significant milestones in the development of a baby, along with the first word, the first smile, the first “coo”, are the first steps, which rejoice, which they remember and try to capture in photos and videos. However, in order for a child to walk steadily, a huge transformation must take place in his body from a lying to an upright man. And this transformation involves a whole range of organs and systems - from the brain and the vestibular apparatus, to bones and muscles. Moreover, this whole process should take place naturally, one might say “naturally” and gradually - it is then that all the organs and systems of the little man will be able to properly prepare, develop and “ripen” for the transition to the walking stage. nine0003

So why can't a walker be used at this stage? After all, it would seem that by placing the baby in this device, we help him get on his feet. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite.

Baby walkers cannot be used because:

• The natural development of the vestibular apparatus responsible for the sense of balance and position in space is significantly inhibited. In the walker, the child is fixed and he will not fall, which is harmful. For the natural and harmonious development of the baby, it is very important to form a sense of balance. To do this, the baby first learns to sit, then crawl, then stand with support, and finally takes the first independent steps. The use of walkers deprives the body of the opportunity to self-learn, as if skipping important stages. nine0012
• The child does not learn the instinct of self-preservation, because the walker prevents him from falling and creates a false sense of security. At the same time, the fall of a baby is a natural process of learning to walk, a kind of “tuning” of the vestibular apparatus, and parents should not worry about watching their baby get up and fall “on the ass”. The musculoskeletal system of children is very “soft” and “flexible”, nature has already provided mechanisms for protecting against injuries. Therefore, children in the process of learning to walk can and should fall - this is a natural process that is very important for the formation of the vestibular apparatus and the development of a sense of self-preservation. nine0012
• High risk of injury - a kind of continuation of the previous paragraph. In the walker, the child is fixed, the presence of wheels allows him to develop greater speed and crash into obstacles without consequences. This is also very bad. Firstly, a child in a walker is completely devoid of a sense of fear - he simply does not have such experience, while babies developing without adaptations know what walls, a door jamb, corners are. They have already "stuffed bumps" and have the experience, which in the future can significantly reduce the risk of injury in natural life. For example, we repeatedly observed at receptions how children at full speed crashed into a table, into a door jamb - in the vast majority of cases, these kids were in walkers for a long time. And, secondly, walkers still do not provide sufficient stability, and the presence of wheels and the absence of fear of injury in a child can lead to sad consequences. Accelerating to a speed of 8-9km / h (if there is where to accelerate), babies can get more serious injuries than in a natural fall.
• Stimulation to go earlier than necessary. Let's explain. In order not to get enough serious problems with the back at the age of 20-40 years, it is necessary in infancy to correctly and progressively go through all the stages of development of the musculoskeletal system. In fact, the later the child starts walking, the better (of course, we are talking about the norm here, and we do not mean the presence of any pathologies), since the child later begins to receive vertical loads on the spine, which at this age is not yet has fully formed natural shock-absorbing bends. Thus, at first the child learns to sit - muscles and ligaments are strengthened, then to crawl - muscles and ligaments are strengthened, then slowly walk with support - again, muscles and ligaments are strengthened. Those. By the time the musculoskeletal system is READY to accept vertical loads, the child begins to walk, which in the future minimizes the occurrence of any radiculitis and other back problems. The use of jumpers, walkers and other similar devices stimulates the child to start walking earlier, "jumping" the necessary period of natural strengthening of muscles and ligaments. And, as a result, satisfied parents that their baby began to walk earlier than their peers, but the potential problems with the child’s back from childhood in the future. nine0012

We have tried to explain in sufficient detail why baby walkers do much more harm than good. In principle, they have only one benefit - the child "frees the hands" of the mother, and they cope very well with this role. Of course, one cannot speak of a complete and unconditional ban on walkers. If the baby will be in them for no more than 15 minutes, no more than two or three times a day, for example, when the mother wants to drink tea or go to the toilet, then they will not bring harm. If abused, there will be problems. nine0003

If you still have any questions, you can make an appointment with an orthopedist here.

Always yours, "Children's Doctor".

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Baby walkers: pros and cons

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September 15, 2021

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The feeling when you enter a children's room and find that your baby is standing in a crib is something incredible. Just yesterday, he tumbled to one side when trying to sit down on his own, and today he is already standing and even trying to squat on his legs funny. Very soon he will take his first steps. And here the mothers of the whole world are divided into two militant camps. Some, in an attempt to help the baby, and at the same time unload themselves, are puzzled by the choice of walkers, while others simply let the development process take its course. We do not join any camp, but simply present the facts regarding the pros and cons of walkers. nine0047